Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the development, and implementation, of new types of communication systems. Such communication systems are able to permit the communication of increased amounts of data at increased thruput rates relative to conventional communication systems. And, such new communication systems have permitted communication of information at, and between, communication stations positioned at locations from which communications have conventionally been inconvenient or impractical.
Radio communication systems, for instance, are exemplarily of communication systems of which new types, and improvements to existing types, have been made possible as a result of advancements in communication technologies. Similar to other types of communication systems, in a radio communication system, information is communicated between a sending station and a receiving station by way of a communication channel. In a radio communication system, unlike other types of communication systems, a communication channel formed between the sending and the receiving stations and upon which information is communicated by the sending station to the receiving station, is formed of a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio links are defined upon the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum allocated to the radio communication system.
Because a radio link is utilized upon which to form communication channels, a fixed, or wireline, connection is not required to be formed between the sending and receiving stations to form a communication channel. Information can be communicated between the sending and receiving stations at, and between, locations at which conventional wireline communications would not be permitted. Additionally, the infrastructure costs associated with the installation of a radio communication system are also generally lower than the corresponding costs which would be required to install a conventional, wireline communication system. And, as the advancements in communication technologies have permitted the bandwidth allocated to a radio communication system to be utilized more efficiently, a radio communication can increasingly be utilized effectuate a communication service which require relatively significant data thruput capability.
A wireless broadband communication system has been proposed, for instance, by which to permit the effectuation of any of various communication services by way of radio links with fixed-site subscriber stations. Radio links are formed with the subscriber stations by fixed-site base stations. The base stations are installed at spaced-apart locations throughout the geographical area which is to be encompassed by the wireless broadband communication system. Several subscriber stations are capable of communicating with a single base station.
Communication of data is effectuated between the subscriber stations and an associated base station by way of radio links upon which communication channels are defined. Because radio links are utilized between the subscriber stations and the base stations, the infrastructure costs associated with the formation of wireline connections between the subscriber stations are obviated. Broadband communications, and communication services which require the communication of broadband data, as well as communication services necessitating smaller data thruput rates are effectuable through use of the wireless broadband communication system.
Advancements in communication technologies have also permitted the development, and introduction, of other types of radio communication systems. Wireless communication systems, sometimes referred to as micro-cellular networks, private networks, and WLANs (wireless local area networks) are exemplary of such systems. Such networks, generally, provide for radio communications with mobile stations positioned within communication range of such networks.
Generally, the communication ranges of the mobile stations operable in such systems is relatively small as relatively low-power signals are originated at the mobile stations and, correspondingly, originated at the network infrastructure of such systems to be terminated at the mobile stations. The network infrastructure of such systems typically include fixed-location transceivers, sometimes referred to as access points. The access points are capable of communicating with a group of mobile stations positioned within a micro-cellular, or other, area defined by the access point. In some of such systems, the access points are coupled to a conventional, local area network, also used to interconnect the processing stations of an office computer system. In other such systems, the access points are connected in other manners.
Installation of a wireless broadband communication system to provide broadband services with a plurality of subscriber stations provides a radio infrastructure throughout a geographical area throughout which wireless broadband communication services are effectuable. If a manner could be provided by which to utilize the communication capabilities of a wireless broadband communication system to provide additional communication services, additional benefits of a wireless broadband communication system would be provided.
It is in light of this background information related to radio communication systems that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.